Hagerty Wants to Teach Your Kid to Drive Stick This Summer

As new cars get more complex, fewer manufacturers are giving buyers the option to choose a traditional manual transmission. The love for the stick shift is dying in America, but classic car insurance provider Hagerty could have the solution to saving the manual.

Hagerty, new home of former R&T Editor in Chief Larry Webster and Deputy Editor Joe DeMatio, has put together a program to teach young people age 15-25 how to drive manual transmission vehicles. Using classic cars, classroom sessions, and a closed parking lot course, the Hagerty Driving Experience aims to pass on the skills of stick-shift driving to the next generation.

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This year, Hagerty is hosting events in four U.S. cities—Golden, Colorado; Traverse City, Michigan; Austin Texas; and Scottsdale, Arizona—for young people to attend. The cars are sourced locally from owners who are brave enough to let unexperienced adolescents drive their treasured classics.

Some cars that have shown up in the past include a 1928 Packard Phaeton, a 1950 Willys Jeepster, and even a 1962 Aston Martin DB4. If you're the type who wants to spread the pleasure of three pedals to people who want to learn, you can volunteer your car and your teaching abilities here.

Teaching kids how to drive stick isn't the only lesson on offer. Each course goes over simple car care and maintenance to make sure all aspects of car ownership are covered, whether you're driving a valuable classic or a family hand-me-down.

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If you're itching to learn how to drive a manual, or there's a new driver in your life who wants to learn the art of the third pedal, go here to check out dates and sign up. Not many young people know how to drive stick, but with this program, the joy of changing gears won't be lost on the new generation of drivers.

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